Demonstrations: Downtown - AlSalwan Mosque - King Abdulla the Second Mosque
Throughout global and Arab history, public spaces have been a right in the city—places for expression, gathering, solidarity, and civic participation. In Arab cities, public spaces take many forms: streets, squares, alleys, neighborhoods, stairs, markets, mosques, churches, walls, and more.
Amid the events in Gaza, we witness around the world—and in Jordan—the active use of public spaces as a key tool to advocate for the Palestinian cause and to protest American imperialism on our lands. At other times, public spaces and life go quiet, in accordance with popular will, such as during the global strike when shops closed to disrupt economic activity. Additionally, visible signs of solidarity and protest appear in public spaces, like the Palestinian flag and boycott messages on murals.
Demonstrations: Associations - Kalouti Mosque - Hashmiyeh Plaza
Thus, as people express their protest in public spaces, these spaces also become sites where power dynamics are confronted, and the embodiment of authority becomes visible in our spaces in Amman. Over the past months, we have witnessed this in various ways, particularly through street closures, disruption of movement for pedestrians and vehicles, and the heightened presence and control of authorities in many of our streets and squares.
Demonstrations: Kalha Stairs